Bird predation deterrent shield for a cat

ABSTRACT

A bird predation deterrent shield is described herein comprising a sheet of flexible material suspended from the anterior neck region of a cat, at least as wide at its bottom as the shoulders of the cat, and sufficiently long to reach the level of the carpal regions of the cat when the cat is standing on all four limbs. Bird predation deterrent methods are disclosed herein comprising placing such a bird predation deterrent shield on a cat whenever the cat is outdoors. Use of a shield according to the present invention has been shown to drastically reduce the number of birds killed by a cat when worn by the cat while outdoors.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation prior-filed, nonprovisionalapplication Ser. No. 08/812,575, filed Mar. 7, 1997, said applicationbeing incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein U.S. Pat.No. 5,755,186.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The field of the present invention relates to animal husbandry. Inparticular, a shield for a cat is described herein for deterring birdpredation.

BACKGROUND

The problem of domestic cats killing wild birds is enormous. It isestimated that 4.4 million songbirds are killed by domestic cats eachday in the United States alone. That statistic, coupled with thecontinual destruction of wildlife habitat which further depletes birdpopulations, shows a great need for means for preserving the wild birdpopulation. This problem is documented in the following references:Richard Stallcup, "Cats: A Heavy Toll on Songbirds. A ReversibleCatastrophe," Point Reyes Bird Observatory Observer 91 8 (1991); P. B.Churcher and J. H. Lawton, "Predation by domestic cats in an Englishvillage", J. Zoology 211 439 (1987).

Presently the only method for completely preventing a domestic cat fromkilling birds has been to keep the cat indoors. This is a solution thata majority of cat owners do not find agreeable, therefore few of themkeep their cats indoors. The attitudes of pet owners are as hard toovercome as a cat's natural hunting instincts.

Another less than satisfactory method for preventing bird predation by acat has been to put a bell on the cat's collar. The sound of the bell isthought to warn birds of an approaching cat and give them time toescape. In actuality "belling the cat" does not work well if at all,since many new birds may come into an area that are unaware of themeaning of the bell and often the cat learns to stalk in a way whichkeeps the bell silent. Nor has it ever been clearly established thatbirds specifically associate the sound of the bell with a cat.

Another method that has been used to try to prevent bird predation by acat is fencing the cat away from areas frequented by birds, such as neara bird feeder. Bird feeders are meant to attract birds and naturallycats are attracted to areas where birds often are. Due to the cat'sprowess in leaping and climbing, fencing cats away from the feeder isoften quite ineffectual. Often people face the choice of either having acat or feeding the birds. However feeding birds and not owning a cat isnot a solution, since a bird feeder will attract other neighborhood catsas well. Even when fencing around the bird feeder is effective, somebirds are likely to stray out of the fenced bird feeder enclosure andinto the close range of a cat. Then too, many people consider a fencedbird feeder unattractive and difficult to access, and will therefore notuse this method for preventing cat predation of birds.

Placement of the bird feeders in a location impeding cats from gettingclose to the feeding birds has also been tried. One such location forthe bird feeder might be high off the ground, but this does not preventground feeding birds from gathering to eat spilled seed and thus landingwithin the range of a waiting cat. An adjunct to high placement of thebird feeder might be locating it away from bushes or other objects thata cat could use to hide behind. This may reduce the bird killingsomewhat, but cannot be considered an effective preventive measure.

One partial solution to the problem of cats killing so many birds wouldbe a reduction of the number of cats. It is estimated that there are 60million cats in the United States. Humane Societies and animal sheltersare barely able to keep up with the numbers of unwanted cats (and dogs).Tragically many of the public are reluctant to neuter their pets and bynot doing so drain public resources required to deal with the resultantpet over-population problem. The over-population of cats contributes tothe large numbers of birds killed by cats.

A long standing need therefore exists to provide a solution to theproblem of bird predation by domestic cats which would be acceptable toand widely implemented by cat owners.

SUMMARY

Certain aspects of the present invention may overcome aforementioneddrawbacks of the previous art and advance the state-of-the-art of birdpredation deterrent methods and apparatus for cats, and in addition maymeet one or more of the following objects:

To provide methods and apparatus for deterring bird predation by a cat;

To provide methods and apparatus for deterring bird predation by a catwhich are willingly used and/or implemented by domestic cat owners;

To provide methods and apparatus for deterring bird predation by a catwhile allowing the cat free access to the outdoors;

To provide methods and apparatus for deterring bird predation by a catwhich does not interfere with other activities of the cat;

To provide methods and apparatus for deterring bird predation by a catwhich is comfortable for the cat;

To provide methods and apparatus for deterring bird predation by a catwhich may be readily used and/or implemented by persons having no animalhusbandry skills;

To provide methods and apparatus for deterring bird predation by a cathaving economies of parts, manufacture, and/or implementation; and

To provide methods and apparatus for deterring bird predation by a catwhich are environmentally safe.

One or more of these objects may be achieved according to the presentinvention by: a bird predation deterrent shield for a cat, comprising asheet of flexible material suspended from the anterior neck region ofthe cat, at least as wide at its bottom as the shoulders of the cat, andsufficiently long to reach the level of the carpal regions of the catwhen the cat is standing on all four limbs; and placing such a birdpredation deterrent shield on a cat whenever the cat is outdoors. Ashield according to the present invention has been shown to drasticallyreduce the number of birds killed by a cat when worn by the cat whileoutdoors. The shield and its use may be readily and willingly usedand/or implemented by cat owners of any degree of animal husbandryskills, and furthermore may be comfortable for the cat and may notinterfere with other activities of the cat. The shield and its use maybe quite economical to manufacture and/or implement, and carry no riskof harm to the environment.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention may becomeapparent upon referring to the preferred and alternative embodiments ofthe present invention as illustrated in the drawings and/or described inthe following written description and/or claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a birdpredation deterrent shield according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a birdpredation deterrent shield according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a birdpredation deterrent shield according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a birdpredation deterrent shield according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a birdpredation deterrent shield according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED AND ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a bird predation deterrent shield100 for a cat according to the present invention, comprising asubstantially rectangular sheet 102 of flexible material and means forsuspending sheet 102 from the anterior neck region of the cat. In apreferred embodiment of the present invention, sheet 102 may be at leastas wide at its lower edge as the cat's shoulders in order to bepositioned in front of both forelimbs of the cat when suspended from thecat's neck, thereby interfering with the cat's bird predation behaviorsand/or movements. Sheet 102 may also be sufficiently long to interferewith the cat's bird predation behaviors and/or movements, but shortenough not to interfere with other behaviors and activities of the cat.In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, sheet 102 may be atleast long enough to reach down to the level of the carpal regions ofthe cat when the cat is standing on all four limbs and sheet 102 issuspended from the cat's neck. In a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the upper edge of substantially rectangular sheet 102 may beprovided with lateral downwardly sloped portions 103, which may reduceinterference of sheet 102 with non-bird-predation-related activities ofthe cat. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, sheet 102may be constructed from Naugahyde®, an imitation leather made from vinylbonded to fabric and which may be readily washed or cleaned.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, sheet 102 may besuspended from the cat's neck by a tab 104 of flexible sheet materialextending upward from the upper edge of sheet 102 and terminating at end106. End 106 and the back surface of sheet 102 may be provided withfasteners so that by securing end 106 to sheet 102 tab 104 may be formedinto a loop for encircling cat collar 108, thus permitting readyattachment or removal of shield 100 to collar 108. In a preferredembodiment of the present invention, end 106 may be fastened to the backsurface of sheet 102 by a Velcro® (i.e., hook and loop) type fastener.In a preferred embodiment of the present invention shield 100 may beprovided with an opening 110 through which tags or other objectssuspended from collar 108 may pass to hang in front of shield 100.

In order to reduce or prevent bird predation by a cat, shield 100 isplaced on the cat prior to release of the cat into the outdoors. Theshield may be removed upon return of the cat indoors. Testing carriedout over a period exceeding a year resulted in a reduction in birdpredation from an average of five bird kills per month per cat to onebird kill per three months per cat. This substantial reductiontranslates into four birds killed per year per cat instead of sixtybirds killed. The extrapolation of these figures to the millions ofdomestic cats living in this and other countries suggests trulystaggering reductions in the numbers of birds killed each year ifwidespread use and implementation of the apparatus and method accordingto the present invention were instituted.

Regular use of the shield interferes with normal bird predationbehaviors and/or movements of the cat. Bird predation behaviors by thecat are observed to essentially cease after several weeks of consistentuse of the shield whenever the cat is outdoors. After discontinuing useof the shield, normal bird predation behaviors and movements areobserved to reappear after two to three weeks. The cat quickly learns toaccept attachment of the shield before being released outdoors, andattempts by the cat to remove the shield stop within a few minutes ofattachment of the shield to the cat's collar the first few times, andthen cease to occur altogether thereafter.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,743 issued to Doose discloses a cat collar withmeans for securing a variety of ornamental and/or decorative items tothe collar. However, the use of such secured items for deterrence ofbird predation by the cat is not taught by this patent. Furthermore,this patent does not teach to construct the attached item sufficientlywide at its lower edge to obstruct both forelimbs, nor does it teach toconstruct the attached item sufficiently long to reach down to the levelof the carpal regions of the cat while the item is attached to thecollar and the cat is standing on all four limbs.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the length ofsheet 102 may vary from a minimum length sufficient to reach down to thelevel of the elbow joint region of the cat to a maximum lengthsufficient to reach down to the level of the metacarpal/phalangeal jointregion of the cat, in each case when the cat is standing on all fourlimbs and sheet 102 is suspended from the neck of the cat.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, sheet 102 and/ortab 104 may be constructed from any suitable flexible material.Considerations in choosing a material include but are not limited to:light weight; flexibility; durability; ease of cleaning; and/orappearance. Color does not seem to affect the bird predation deterrenceproduced by the shield. If desired, the shield may be decorated withgraphics and/or text for a variety of purposes. Without departing frominventive concepts disclosed and/or claimed herein, suitable shieldand/or tab materials may include but are not limited to: fabric;plastic; rubber; vinyl; nylon; leather; canvas; Naugahyde®; laminatedfabrics; polymer-impregnated fabrics; combinations thereof; and/orfunctional equivalents thereof. Without departing from inventiveconcepts disclosed and/or claimed herein: sheet 102 and tab 104 may befabricated from the same material; sheet 102 and tab 104 may befabricated from different materials; sheet 102 and tab 104 may compriseseparate components which are permanently connected; sheet 102 and tab104 may be fabricated from a single piece of flexible material.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, a variety ofmeans may be employed for allowing ready attachment and removal of theshield to a cat collar. Tab 104 formed into a loop for encircling catcollar 108 as described hereinabove may be employed using any of avariety of fasteners, including but not limited to: Velcro® (i.e., hookand loop); snaps; buttons; hooks; ties; laces; buckles; clips;combinations thereof; and/or functional equivalents thereof.Alternatively, sheet 102 may be secured directly to collar 108 by meansof any fasteners which may be repeatedly fastened and unfastened,including but not limited to: Velcro® (i.e., hook and loop); snaps;buttons; hooks; ties; laces; buckles; clips; combinations thereof;and/or functional equivalents thereof.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, end 106 of tab104 may be permanently attached to sheet 102, thereby forming apermanent loop for encircling collar 108. Shield 100 is put on andremoved from the cat by putting on and removing collar 108 from aroundthe neck of the cat.

FIG. 2 shows an alternative embodiment of a bird predation deterrentshield 200 according to the present invention. Sheet 202 of flexiblematerial is directly attached to cat collar 208, thereby forming anintegral structure. Without departing from inventive concepts disclosedand/or claimed herein: sheet 202 and collar 208 may be fabricated fromthe same material; sheet 202 and collar 208 may be fabricated fromdifferent materials; sheet 202 and collar 208 may comprise separatecomponents which are permanently connected; sheet 202 and collar 208 maybe fabricated from a single piece of flexible material.

FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of a bird predation deterrentshield 300 according to the present invention. Sheet 302 comprises asubstantially triangular sheet of flexible material. The base of thetriangular shape forms the lower edge of sheet 302. The apex 306 oftriangular sheet 302 may be folded over and secured to the back surfaceof sheet 302 thereby forming a loop for encircling cat collar 308 andsuspending sheet 302 from collar 308. Apex 306 may be secured to theback surface of sheet 302 as described hereinabove. Alternatively, apex306 of sheet 302 may be secured directly to collar 308 as describedhereinabove.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show alternative embodiments of bird predation deterrentshields according to the present invention wherein the lower edge of theshield is modified. In FIG. 4 the lower edge of sheet 402 of shield 400is provided with a central upwardly extending concave section 410positioned between substantially horizontal lateral sections 412 and414. In FIG. 5 the lower edge of sheet 502 of shield 500 is providedwith a plurality of upwardly extending vertical slits 510, therebydividing the lower portion of sheet 502 into a plurality of downwardlydepending portions 512. In each of these alternative embodiments, themodifications of the lower edge of the shield maintains bird predationdeterrence while resulting in reduced interference with the cat's otheractivities.

The present invention has been set forth in the form of its preferredand alternative embodiments. It is nevertheless intended thatmodifications to the disclosed bird predation deterrent shield for a catmay be made without departing from inventive concepts disclosed and/orclaimed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A bird predation deterrent shield for a cat,comprising:a sheet of flexible material having a front surface, a backsurface, a lower edge, an upper edge, a first side edge, and a secondside edge; and means, located near the upper edge of said sheet, forsuspending said sheet substantially vertically from an anterior neckregion of the cat; wherein said sheet is at least as wide at the loweredge of said sheet as shoulders of the cat, and sufficiently long toreach at least down to the level of an elbow joint region of the catwhen the cat is standing on four limbs and said sheet is suspended fromthe anterior neck region of the cat.
 2. A bird predation deterrentshield for a cat as recited in claim 1, wherein said sheet issufficiently long to reach at least down to the level of a carpal regionof the cat when the cat is standing on four limbs and said sheet issuspended from the anterior neck region of the cat.
 3. A bird predationdeterrent shield for a cat as recited in claim 2, wherein said sheet issubstantially rectangular in shape.
 4. A bird predation deterrent shieldfor a cat as recited in claim 3, wherein the upper edge of saidsubstantially rectangular sheet comprises a first lateral slopedsection, a central substantially horizontal section, and a secondlateral sloped section.
 5. A bird predation deterrent shield for a catas recited in claim 4, wherein said means for suspending said sheet fromthe anterior neck region of the cat comprises a tab of flexible materialconnected to and extending upward from the upper edge of said sheet anda hook and loop type fastener for attaching an upper end of said tab tothe back surface of said sheet, thereby forming a loop for encircling acollar around the neck of the cat and suspending said sheet from thecollar, and wherein said sheet is provided with an opening therethrough,thereby allowing an object suspended from the collar to pass throughsaid opening and hang in front of said sheet.
 6. A bird predationdeterrent shield for a cat as recited in claim 2, wherein:said means forsuspending said sheet from the anterior neck region of the cat comprisesa collar for encircling the neck of the cat and having an inner surface,an outer surface, an upper edge, and a lower edge; the upper edge ofsaid sheet is connected to said collar; and said sheet and said collarform an integral structure.
 7. A bird predation deterrent shield for acat as recited in claim 2, wherein said means for suspending said sheetfrom the anterior neck region of the cat comprises means for removablyconnecting the upper edge of said sheet to a collar around the neck ofthe cat.
 8. A bird predation deterrent shield for a cat as recited inclaim 7, wherein said means for connecting said sheet to the collarcomprises a tab of flexible material connected to and extending upwardfrom the upper edge of said sheet and a fastener for attaching an upperend of said tab to the back surface of said sheet, thereby forming aloop for encircling the collar and suspending said sheet from saidcollar.
 9. A bird predation deterrent shield for a cat as recited inclaim 8, wherein said fastener comprises a hook and loop type fastener.10. A bird predation deterrent shield for a cat as recited in claim 7,wherein said sheet is provided with an opening therethrough, therebyallowing an object suspended from the collar to pass through saidopening and hang in front of said sheet.
 11. A bird predation deterrentshield for a cat as recited in claim 1, wherein said sheet issufficiently long to reach at least down to the level of ametacarpal/phalangeal joint region of the cat when the cat is atandingon four limbs and said sheet is suspended from the anterior neck regionof the cat.